CRAIG says Celtic fans should be praying that Norwich City fail to beat the drop this year and says there is no way that Neil Lennon will swap the Champions League for an away day in Bournemouth.

Time to wave goodbye to Celtic Park? Not if Norwich go down this season (Photo: Action Images)

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LIVERPOOL and their emotional crusade to land the English title on the 25th anniversary of Hillsborough has captured plenty of imagination among Scottish football fans.

But if you support Celtic, it’s the bottom end of the top flight down the road which should be at the centre of your universe.

It’s not far fetched to suggest the outcome of that particular basement joust and the identity of the three teams who drop into the Championship could well have a significant bearing on how Scotland’s flag winners do in next season’s Champions League.

With our title race a non-event, there is an additional interest in what is going on south of the border with their proper battle, yet it’s the fraught contest involving the likes of the Canaries, Fulham and West Brom which should have Parkhead punters on red alert.

With four games to go, Norwich are in deep trouble.

Just two points clear of the drop zone, their final four fixtures are against the top four teams.

It’s a nightmare run and one which makes them big candidates to go.

And, if they do, it might just make this summer and a couple of very serious issues that little bit easier for those in the positions of power at Parkhead to deal with.

It’s not a secret Carrow Road chiefs are aware of the work of Neil Lennon.

Chief executive David McNally knows him personally from their days together at Celtic.

During Chris Hughton’s faltering reign, Lennon’s name was always being linked with the job.

And when Hughton was bombed, that intensified.

Youth coach Neil Adams was put in charge of the team for the final five games but sources down the road tell you that it is a sticking plaster appointment.

McNally didn’t say that when Adams was appointed. He trotted out the usual stuff about the guy possibly earning the job full-time by keeping the team up but what else could he say? Sitting next to Adams, the cynic inside tells you he couldn’t say: “You’ll do for now mate but we’re only waiting for the summer to get who we want.”

Gary Hooper celebrates with Robert Snodgrass after scoring against Fulham (Photo: Getty Images)

Lennon is bang on their target list but Norwich have a problem.

Persuading the Celtic manager to leave his beloved club to join the farmers in Norfolk would be tough enough to achieve as a Premier League club.

If they drop into the English Championship, they can forget it.

Surely there is no way on earth the Parkhead manager would quit his dream job and such a massive club for trips to Bournemouth and Doncaster.

There is more chance of Bernard Matthews buying Rangers.

In addition, it’s clear Robert Snodgrass is a player Celtic like. A player who, moving into the final year of his contract at Norwich, would fancy a move to Glasgow and could be a massive influence in the Champions League qualifiers.

Snodgrass as a Premier League player would cost a packet, even with just 12 months to go on his current deal.

Yet Snodgrass as a Championship asset might just lop a right few quid off an asking price.

Sure, other Premier League teams will want him but Celtic would have a good chance of not being priced out of the race for the Scotland star if he wants to come.

Norwich staying up could see Celtic having to fight for their manager and see the chance of signing a top-class attacking midfielder lessen.